The Profound Nature of Life by Forty Piece Choir

Recorded by the band and mastered by Mike Hagler of King Size Sound Labs (Wilco, OK Go, Neko Case, The Reputation), the album echoes a rawness akin to 1950’s artists Chuck Berry and Little Richard while maturing into a potent ear candy as unique as modern luminaries Beck and My Morning Jacket. After 10 wonderful years in the Chicago music scene, the individuals that make up Forty Piece Choir have decided to focus on their families and end the group’s journey with one final farewell performance. Joining the band on saxophone for the record release performance will be Bravo Television “Shear Genius” finalist Ben Mollin.

In 1997 Forty Piece Choir formed when Dana Okon and Dan Dominiak met in the rising south side coffee house folk music circuit. With the addition of rhythm section Ryan DeYoung and Mike Boyle of pop punk outfit Winepress; Kelly Kruse soon brought her angelic voice and melodic keyboards to the fold. The band aspired to create a new blend of artistic music that advocated optimism and positive ideals.

Bringing in Chuck “Shaft” Gonwa on bass and Eric Hofmeister on the drums by 1998, home recording sessions began with up and coming producer/engineer Edgars Legzdins (Plane, Blue Room Studio) whom would soon join the ranks of Forty Piece Choir. In 1999 the sextet released their debut full length compact disc Salud on Cooked County Records, a fictitious record label created by member Dana Okon for his solo output. Home Pride Productions states, “Forty Piece Choir lives in a world where music and life, fate and karma are all beautifully intertwined. All of this hippie feel-good vibe would be only so much positioning if it didn’t find its way into the grooves, but it does, in spades.” Grabbing the ear of Chicago Q101 disc jockey James VanOsdal in 2000, the debut’s opening track Snail On A Star would be included alongside Lucky Boys Confusion, Sister Machine Gun, and the J. Davis Trio on the “Local 101 ~ Volume 2” compilation.

By 2000 Forty Piece Choir grew into a septet including Timothy “Smu” McCarthy on bass and current 1900’s members Tim Minnick on drums and Ed Anderson playing an array of instrumentation. Meticulously recorded by Legzdins, their sophomore full length Face Your Fear was released on subsidiary Cooked County Records label Blue Room Studio in 2002. Mixed by Brian Deck (Tortoise, Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse) at Engine Music Studios, the albums endowments were charmingly brought to life through Deck’s interpretation. Patrick Conlan of Illinois Entertainer shares these words on Face Your Fear. “Continuing their successful harvesting from a broad spectrum of influences and styles, Forty Piece Choir sculpt marvelous, cinematic compositions on Face Your Fear. Packed with sensuous sonic details that invite repeated listens, Fear overflows with sweetly crafted sophistication that manages to be achingly gorgeous, swimmingly whimsical, and playfully eclectic while sounding lushly integrated.”

Tennessee, the third full length Cooked County Records release from 2003, saw the group maturing as a quintet. Recorded by Groovemaster Studio producer/engineer John Doyle (Disturbed, Kill Hannah, Plain White T’s), the band solidified its home recording techniques with Doyle’s keen ear. Roots Music Report declares, “Forty Piece Choir has created an absolutely phenomenal album. Tennessee is a rollercoaster of an album that at times submerses itself deep within the mind, and floods the senses with audio ecstasy. This group represents true musicality in that they are not caged by a particular musical styling. “Forty Piece Choir” hints that there at least forty different influences in every song, so every song is a different journey into musicality.”

Forty Piece Choir has shared the stage with Jackson Browne, Pat MacDonald, Stars, Gogol Bordello, Waco Brothers, Robbie Fulks, Essex Green, Baldwin Brothers, Leona Naess, Sleeping At Last, Josh Rouse, Umphrey’s McGee, Bo Deans, Dave Mason, Ekoostik Hookah, and an endless array of talented artists. While frequenting the Chicago club scene, Forty Piece Choir has appeared at House of Blues, Metro, Double Door, Schubas, Empty Bottle, Abbey Pub, Hideout, Park West, and everywhere in between. Festivals, including Toronto’s North by Northeast Music Festival and Sturgeon Bay’s Steel Bridge Song Fest, have received the energy of Forty Piece Choir’s music favorably. “It’s an energy that makes for a good live show, says Hostage Radio program director Billy Giannopoulos. “They’re a band that a lot of Chicago acts should look up to,” he says. “There have been a lot of changes in the band but they keep coming back with more and more powerful songs and records.”

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